8 Days of Crisis on the Hill

Political Blip... or Stephen Harper's Revolution Derailed

Whew What a week that was as Canadians went from being the 'peaceable kingdom' talking about the need for cooperation and consultation to what many described as 'a full blown national crisis'. The Prime Minister and Conservative Government had turned an 'economic crisis' into a 'political crisis', then a 'constitutional crisis'. And if that wasn't enough of a week's work, the Prime Minister managed to also turn it into a 'crisis of national unity'.

And some say Canadian politics and politicians are boring

Accusations of "traitor," "coup d'etat," "illegitimate," "undemocratic"; "loss of confidence," "loss of trust," "socialist," "separatist," and "deals with the devil," reverberated across the floor of the House of Commons.

Each of the 'crisis' that engulfed the Hill over those eight days had political consequences for those involved and for the parliamentary system. Stephen Harper may have survived to fight another day but in doing so he may have committed his most serious strategic error and will pay a heavy price for it over the next months and years.

It is my contention that he is as much a strategic stumbler as a master strategist, and, that his long term goal to make the Conservative party Canada's 'natural governing party' and to move Canadian society to the right has been derailed.